A person has died at Auckland Prison at Paremoremo this morning.

A Northern St John Ambulance communications spokeswoman said ambulance officers were sent to the prison "for a patient not breathing".

The person had since died, and she would not say if that person was a prisoner or a staff member at the maximum security jail.

"You need to talk to the police for further information."

St John Ambulance tweeted that they attended a medical incident at Albany involving a patient.

An inspector at Northern Police Communications told the New Zealand Herald to contact Corrections.

A Corrections spokeswoman said a statement would be released soon.